Vehicle traffic signal



April 21., 1925.

P. MYERS VEHICLE TRAFFIC SIGNAL Filed Oct 8-, 1 2 2 Sheets-Sheetiv given 69c 5656072, ['Z yers Patented Apr. 21 1925.

PRESTON MYERS, or LOS ANGELES, CALHO'RNIA. I

VEHICLE TRAFFIC SIGNAL.

Application filed October 8, 1923. Serial No. 667,352.

To all whom it"flMbfl/ concern:

Be it known that I, PRESTON MYERs, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle Traflic Signals, of which the followin is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawmgs.

The invention relates to vehicle trafiic signals and has for its main object the provision of a traffic signal provided with a plurality of indicators which are actuated by means operated by vacuum. Another object is the provision of a traffic signal having a support upon which hollow telescoping shafts are rotatably mounted, these shafts carrying the indicators and being 1 actuated by bellows" mounted upon the support through pinion and rack connections. A further object is the provisionof means upon the support for limiting theexpansive movement'of the bellows and for hold ing the racks in engagement with the pinion'sr Still another feature of my invention resides in the provision of a simple con structioir of control device which includes a pivotally mounted handle adapted to be swung to different positions of adjustment to independently control the connection of the bellows to the source of vacuum.

With these as well as other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts as more fully hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a sideelevation partly broken Figures 3 and l are cross sections .on the lines 33 and 4- l respectively of Figure 1.

1 isthe casing of my motor vehicle traffic signal having the glass front 2 provided with the lower opaque portion3and the upper transparent portion or window 4:. 5

is a sheet metal support secured to the back of the casing 1 opposite the opaque por-' tion of the glass. "6 is a shaft extending transversely of and rigidly secured t'o the support 5.'

Fi ure 2 is a cross section on the line 22' -7, ='8 and 9' aresegmental indicators 11pm which are placed suitable indications such PATENT OFFICE.

as Right, Left, and Stop respectively,

these indications having substantially the same size as the transparent portion 4; of the casing front. The indicators 7, 8 and 9 are rigidly secured to the outer, intermediate, and inner hollow shafts 10, 11 and 12 respectively which are telescopically mountrespectively to a source ofvacuum such as the intake manifold 28 of an internal coinbustion engine, these tubes leading through the bottom wall of the casing l and to their respective bellows. For normally holding the bellows in expanded position, I have proed about the shaft 6. l3, l4 and 15 arepinions rigidly secured upon the inner ends vided the spring 29 for each bellows having one end rigidly secured to t-hemovable back and the other end engaging the tongue 30 struck out from the support 5, an inter-" mediate portion of the spring being coiled. Thetongue 30 also limits the movement of the movable back away from'the stationary back, For retaining the racks in engagement with their respective pinions, the-support 5 is also provided with struck-out tongues 31 engageable with the backs of the racks. i f p 7 For the purpose of providinga simple control device which may be readily operated, I have provided the valve body 321 having the main passageway 33 and i the secondary passageways 34, 35 and 36 which communicate with the main passageway by means of the diagonal passageways'BY.

of the valve body, there being preferably a gasket SQ therebetWe'en. This cap is provided with thep'assa'gewagys' 40, ll, 4.2 and a3 communicating through the gasket with the K) 08 is a valve body cap secured to the inner end I and 36 with the atmosphere. The inner ends of the secondary passageways are preferably conical shaped and adapted to be seated upon by the valves 46 which. have stems 47 extending longitudinally through the valve body and therebeyond. These valves are normally maintained in seated position by means of the coil springs 48 abutting the outer end of the valve body and the nuts 4-9 threaded upon the valve stems, the arrangement being such that when the valves are open they will be moved into engagement with the gasket 39 to seal the relief ports 45, without closing the communication of the passageways in the valve body cap and with which the tubes 25, 26 and 27 communicate.

For actuating the valves, there is the handle 50, the inner end of which is pivotally mounted upon the valve body 30. As

shown, this handle has secured to its inner end the axial bolt 51, the head of which is seated upon the inner end of the nut 52 threaded axiallyinto the valvebody 32. For normally holding the handle in axial position, there is the coil spring 53 between the nut 52 and the annular flange 5e extending transversely of and preferably integral with the inner end of the handle and normally spaced from the nuts 4-9 upon the valve stems, but engageable therewith upon swinging of the handle.

55 is a casing surrounding the valve body 32 and provided with the bifurcations 56 which are adapted to embrace thesteering column of the motor vehicle and secured thereto below the steering wheel. rangement is such that upon swinging the handle 50 to the rightand in the same direction taken by the steering wheel to turn the motor vehicle tothe left, the bellows 22 will be connected to' the intake manifold 28 and collapsed to swing the indicator having Left upon its face into registration with the transparent portion of the casing front. If it is desired to turn the motor vehicle in the opposite direction, the indicator having Right upon its face will be actuated'through the bellows 21 which will be connected to the intake manifold by swinging the handle 50 to the left and in the same direction taken by the steering The arr respective relief ports will at all times be closed by the valves so thatthe suction effect within the intake manifold will be transferred to the bellows. However, as soon as the valves are released and return to thei closed positions, their respective relief ports are opened to permit air to enter the bellows,thereby allowing the latter to resume their original expanded positions.

My control device is also preferably used for controlling the actuation of an audible signal and asshown 57 is an electrical contact of the audible signal mounted upon and extending transversely into the casing for the valve body, this contact being normally located out of contact with the flange 54; at the inner end of the handle 50 and diametrically opposite to the secondary passageway 35. As a consequence, when the handle 50 is swung downward the audible signal will be electrically connected.

58 is a lamp bulb mounted upon the back of the casing 1 and opposite the transparent portion of the casing front whereby the indications, which are made translucent, may be readily seen at night when swung into operative positions.

To indicate that my signal is properly working, I have provided an electrical means located preferably upon the dash of the motor vehicle and connected to each bellows and controlled by its collapsing movement. As shown 59 is an indicator upon the dash comprising three electric bulbs. Each bulb is connected to a wire 60 for each of the bellows 21, 22 and 23. Also each bulb is connected to an electric battery 61 which in turn is grounded. Each wire 60 is electrically connected to the spring contactG2 by means of a securing screw 63 upon the movable back of each bellows, the contact having its outer end engageable with the stop tongue 30 for its respective bellows. This end is normally spaced from the tongue a distance such that when the bellows has assumed a substantially collapsed position, the end engages the tongue and closes the electric circuitfor the respective bulb, thereby indicating that the bellows has operated.

From the above description it will be readily seen that I have provided a simple construction of vehicle traffic signal which will effectively operate through. vacuum a plurality of indicators. It will be also seen that with my construction of telescoping hollow shafts carrying the indicators, bellows, and intermediate pinions and racks, as well as tongues struck-out from the support for retaining the racks in engagement with the pinions and limiting the expansive movement of the bellows, the construction may be manufactured at a comparatively low cost. Furthermore, it will be seen that I have provided avery simple form of control means in which the handle is movable in the same direction taken by the steering wheel of the vehicle to control the movement of the proper indicator.

What I claim as my invention is:'

1. In a traiiic signal, the combination with a support, of an indicator rotatably mounted upon said support, means for actuating said indicator comprising a bellows mounted upon said support, and a tongue struck out from said support for limiting the movement of said bellows.

2. In a trailie signal, the combination with a support, of coaxially rotatable indicators mounted upon said support, pinions connected to said indicators, bellows mounted upon said support, racks pivotally connected to said bellows and meshing with said pinions, and tongues struck out from said sup port for limiting the movement of said bellows and for holding said racks in engagement with said pinions.

,3. In a trafiic signal, the combination with a casing having one side provided with a window and an opaque portion, of a support secured to the opposite sideof said casing, segmental indicators coaxially rotatably mounted upon said support and normally located behind the opaque portion of said side, and vacuum operated means for said indicators including bellows mounted upon said support. and connected to said shafts, said bellows being collapsible to move said indicators into a position registering with the window of said side.

l, In a traiiic signal, the combination with a support, of indicators rotatably mounted upon said support, and vacuum operated means for actuating said indicators including bellows mounted upon said support, means for yieldably expanding said bellows, and means upon said support for limiting the expansive movement of said bellows.

5. In a-traiiicsigna-l, the combination with a support, of indicators rotatably mounted upon said support, vacuum operated means for actuating said indicators including bellows secured at their sides to said support and each having a stationary and a movable back, projections upon said support engage able with the movable back of each bellows to limit its movement away from its respective stationary back, and springs secured to the movable back of each bellows and engageable with said projections for moving the movable back away from its respective stationary back. v

, I 6. In a tratlic signal, the combination with a support, of indicators rotatably mounted upon said support, vacuum operated means for actuating said indicators, and vacuum control means for operatively connecting said vacuum operated means to a Source of vacuum, including a pivotally mounted handle, and valves adapted to be independently actuated by said handle in its different positions. p

7 In a traifie signal, the combination with movable indicators, of vacuum operated means for actuating said indicators, and vacuum control means for connecting said vacvacuum control means for connecting saidvacuum operated means to a source of vacuum, said vacuum control means including a body having a main pasageway communicating with a source of vacuum, and a plurality of secondary passageways communieating with said main passageway and with said vacuum operated means, relief passageways con'ununicating with said secondary passageways, valves controlling said secondary passageways and adapted when open to close their respective relief passageways, and a handle pivotally mounted upon said body and adapted to independently actuate said valves to move the same to open position. V

9. In a tratlic signal, the combination with a plurality of coaXially rotatable inidcators,

of said passageways a pinion connected to each indicator, racks engaged with said pinions, and vacuum operated means for independently actuating said racks.

' 10. In a trafiic signal, a rotatable indica} tor, a pinion connected to said indicator, a bellows, and a rack meshing with said pinion and pivoted to said bellows for actuation thereby.

In testimony-whereof I aiiix my signature.

PRESTON MYERS. 

